Squeaky Clean Ring

July 2, 2008 10:48 PM

Probably a very simple question, but I just recently got a titanium ring. Can I wear it in the shower?

I've purchased the ring for myself to stay accountable to a promise I made myself. As such, I want to take it off the BARE minimum possible. Is it OK to wear it in the shower? The ring, according to the jeweler, is entirely titanium.

posted by frwagon to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (19 answers total)

Yes. Titanium is nearly impervious.
posted by ikkyu2 at 10:50 PM on July 2, 2008

Titanium is the material of choice for seaside climbing anchors and other highly corrosive environments. I don't think your shower poses a threat.
posted by strangecargo at 11:03 PM on July 2, 2008

From personal experience, yes it can shower without a problem, saltwater will make it shinier, and it scratches surprisingly easily.
posted by arruns at 11:17 PM on July 2, 2008

Surgeons stick titanium into people's bodies on a regular and long-term basis. Your body is a much more difficult environment than a little fresh water.
posted by Justinian at 11:39 PM on July 2, 2008

Man, I hope you can, because Mr. F and I have been doing that with our wedding bands for... almost a whole two weeks now. ;)
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 12:21 AM on July 3, 2008

Best answer: Yes, I've worn my titanium wedding ring pretty much continuously for 5 years. Short of nitric acid or an angle grinder you can't do any permanent harm to it. Any scratches will buff out easily with a dremel tool with a wire brush attachment or maybe steel wool. It will appear to scratch fairly easily because there is a very thin layer of oxide on the surface that gets disturbed, but it is hard to scratch deeply.

Its capable of burning in a pure nitrogen atmosphere (no oxygen). A fact that I find oddly fascinating.
posted by BrotherCaine at 3:36 AM on July 3, 2008 [2 favorites]

Best answer: About the only thing you can do to destroy your ring is to attack it with diamonds or somehow manage to set light to it. Since you'd probably notice your hand had turned to carbon before you reached the burning point I think you're pretty safe. :)

I loved my titanium wedding ring - insanely light and wonderful. Unfortunately I lost weight and (as far as I know) you can't resize the things. You've given me ring envy again...

The only thing I warn you of is this - if you do any mechanical work like repairing cars, take the ring off first. If you break your wrist, take the ring off as soon as you can. If you end up deforming the ring, or making your fingers swell significantly, your local hospital will not admire your fashion sense as most hospitals (in the UK at least) don't have cutters capable of cutting titanium...
posted by twine42 at 4:14 AM on July 3, 2008

Banjo and I are another of the titanium wedding band set. The rings have lasted four years now through showers, rain, pools, and punching some dude in a bar without issue.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 4:31 AM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

If it has stones you may need to be more careful, but a plain ti band is happy as a clam in the shower. I take my (tension-set stone engagement ring) off because it gets caught in my hair when i shampoo. I am a big ol' klutz though.
posted by subbes at 5:05 AM on July 3, 2008

twine42: According to Snopes, "Titanium can be cut with a bolt cutter or jeweler's saw, or indeed by just about any other implement that can slice through stainless steel."
posted by The Dutchman at 6:04 AM on July 3, 2008 [1 favorite]

I wear a titanium wedding ring as well and when I lost a lot of weight, I went to my jeweler to see what could be done. He told me that most good titanium jewelers exchange rings for free. And indeed, they did. No idea who my manufacturer is and my jeweler has since retired.
posted by advicepig at 6:34 AM on July 3, 2008

I chose a titanium wedding band because it is lightweight and about as indestructible as jewelry gets. Since I work in a hospital I wash my hands constantly and never think about taking it off. I also wear it in the shower without a second thought. I didn't know that it was the only element that burns in nitrogen, though-thanks BrotherCaine!

Man, I just love answering questions.
posted by TedW at 6:49 AM on July 3, 2008

I take my titanium wedding band off every time I wash my hands or bathe, because I expected my fingers to get bigger after I got married. When I got it, it was a good fit but a tad loose. Now it still fits on my left hand but won't go all the way on my right. And I can still take it off without difficulty when necessary.
posted by leapfrog at 7:38 AM on July 3, 2008

In relation to titanium rings and their imperviousness to stuff: If you do any kind of work where the ring might get snagged on something heavy and in motion (construction, loading/unloading large objects, etc.), please don't wear the ring while you do it.

I came frighteningly close to losing a finger that way. Your fingerbones will snap long before the ring gives way if it gets caught on an edge of something heavy moving away from you. This warning brought to you by the Ten Fingers Good Society.
posted by Aquaman at 8:19 AM on July 3, 2008

I love my titanium wedding band. I wear nitrile gloves every day at work and my ring fits nicely under them, without snagging. As a rough and tumble woman who does a lot of gardening, landscaping, biking and home renovation projects, my titanium ring has been a champ.
posted by pluckysparrow at 9:00 AM on July 3, 2008

Mr alto has a titanium wedding ring (he loves it for its geek chic) and wears it all the time. Showers and baths haven't been a problem over the last six months.
posted by altolinguistic at 9:04 AM on July 3, 2008

If you do any kind of work where the ring might get snagged on something heavy and in motion (construction, loading/unloading large objects, etc.), please don't wear the ring while you do it.

Which is true of all rings, not especially of titanium ones. As seen in this thread, there are all sorts of legends about titanium. No, it's not incredibly strong. A snagged gold ring will rip off your finger just as easily as a snagged titanium one; it's not like gold rings are breakaway. Emergency rooms are well-equipped to remove them. They can scratch. They're not indestructable.

What they have is a high strength-to-weight ratio. For the same amount of metal, they're twice as strong as aluminum. But only twice, and aluminum isn't that strong. For the same amount of metal, they're far lighter than steel. But not as strong as steel. See? They make great rings for lots of reasons, but reports of the rings' magical powers are exagerrated.

I have one. I love it. You'll love it, too.
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:24 AM on July 3, 2008

I came back here to say that if you have a colored titanium ring, or certain kinds of finish you'll have to baby it a bit more. Still okay in the shower, but you can scratch the finish/color off and will need to avoid chemicals.
posted by BrotherCaine at 5:45 PM on July 3, 2008

My husband and I have ti wedding bands we've been wearing for almost 6 years continuously with just one very minor issue: porcelain marking.
posted by mingshan at 12:30 PM on July 4, 2008